


Someday

by LucysPromDress



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Character Death, M/M, One Shot, Sad Ending, Season/Series 13 Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 12:18:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15170618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LucysPromDress/pseuds/LucysPromDress
Summary: **Season 13 spoilers**Time and fate have never been on Sam and Gabriel's side; they always come together and spend one, tiny, blissful moment together just to be ripped violently from each other again.They miraculosly found each others arms again and vowed to stay togeher this time, but fate has a different ending in mind for these star crossed lovers.





	Someday

  
  
  


_Just close your eyes and I'll take you there_  
_This place is warm and without a care_  
_We'll take a swim in the deep blue sea_  
_I go to leave and you reach for me_  
Sugar Ray- Someday

Gabriel barely had time to process what he had just witnessed before they were being ushered out of the cave and onward toward the safety the light offered just at the other side. The motion of walking was there, but there was no thought behind it. It was like a daydream. One foot in front of the other, following along behind the others mindlessly.

This wasn’t possible. He couldn’t be... No, the Winchester’s always pulled something out of their asses when push came to shove, they always survived. They always lived. And they were attacked by vampires. _Vampires_.The boys had fought and done away with hundreds and hundreds; this was like kids play for them. This was nothing. Sam Winchester couldn’t be dead. Not Sam.

And yet… he was.

Gabriel’s eyes focused on the bodies walking in front of him. Every noise he heard behind them had him jumping and turning quickly, hopeful that the cracking twig behind him was Sam catching up, admonishing them for being stupid and leaving him behind bleeding in a room full of hungry vamps. 

The slump in Dean's shoulders and the body that continued onward told Gabriel what he already knew: that he was destroyed, but he had a job to do. The dam Winchester's were always putting each other and everyone else ahead of themselves he had come to learn, and right now getting the others to safety and finding Jack and Mary were what Sam would have wanted him to do. The Archangel took a page from Dean’s book and marched along among them and hold back the pure anguish he felt until their job was done.

‘Where are you at now, Dad?’ he thought. ‘Did you really abandon this world too? Did you see that another guy on your team died a death he didn’t deserve?’ Gabriel had never been truly angry at his father, more...disappointed in him, but right now he could feel the anger in his building. Of course, there was no answer, there never was.

There had been an argument between him and Sam earlier that kept playing through his mind. The evening had been so pleasant between them. They had kissed and talked and held each other close all through the night, giving in to their passions twice before they had to leave the warm and amazing cocoon they had built.

When this was over, when they came home, they were going to talk, maybe start something real instead of the occasional shag and death threat dance they had been doing for years. But again, Gabriel had happened and had screwed it all to hell. What had happened with Rowena was unnecessary. It was stupid on his part, yes, satisfying at the time, - _woo_ , she was a fireball - but he was on shaky ground with Sam yet again.

He should have listened to the bigger head instead of the - well, not smaller, but _less important_ head before he’d acted.

Gabriel couldn’t deny the way he felt about Sam. How he had felt about him from their first meeting so many years and names ago. It was hard at first to explain why he had been drawn so powerfully to the Winchester then, but later, after he learned that they were the true vessels for his older brothers, he knew that his role in all of this, whether real or imagined, was to protect Sam.

And he had done a piss poor job of it.

Finally back at the camp, the news of Sam’s death spread quickly. First, he had watched Dean deliver the news to his mom Mary, and then his own nephew Jack had been leveled by the news. Gabriel’s legs wouldn’t hold him anymore, and he was glad he was crouched when Jack had asked him why he didn’t bring Sam back or else he would have lost it. He couldn’t deal with this, any of this. Not now, not ever.

He had tried to be a hero, but he couldn’t do it. He was the coward everyone had called him, and he had lost the greatest love his heart would ever know because of it.

The gasps were plentiful enough to draw him out of his thoughts and at first, Gabriel thought the reason for it was because Lucifer had apparently decided to stride on into the camp and join them. Their Lucifer. The one that was tied and bleeding grace to keep the portal open for them so they could get home after this mission.

He stood and made to walk to his wayward, really really wayward, brother and find out - what the fuck? - something, because at least he could try to keep his brother under control for them, but a tall figure with chestnut hair that got longer every time he saw him caught the archangels eye. “Sam,” he whispered, forgetting Lucifer in his shock for the moment. Sam didn’t even look towards Gabriel, just that tiny glance from the corner of his eye, his eyes were focused on Dean and his mom, Castiel and Jack.

It was like… a miracle, Sam had Lazarused again. The how didn’t matter to him, then why - none of it mattered, nothing except that Sam was back. Sam was breathing. He had Lucifer with him, unfortunately, but everything had a price, right? Even if that price was Lucifer.

“I’m glad you decided to join us again,” Gabriel said as he came up behind Sam. The hunter was seated on a log, finally away from everyone and alone for the moment, though Gabriel had no idea how long that would be. “You can’t avoid me forever, Sammykins.” Sam turned his head and leveled green eyes on the other man. “Yeah? You think I can’t? I was doing a pretty good job of it until you walked into the bunker on Ketch’s arm.”

“You thought I was dead, of course, it was easy. Not very many people knew I was having my grace sucked out by that Kentucky Fried b-hole this whole time.” Gabriel replied lightly, though he frowned at the memory. That had messed him up, and bad. Seein Sam being hurt the night Asmodeus had come and tried to take him back had been the only thing that had given him that one huge surge of power. Destroying him to save Sam wasn't even something he had to think about; as long as he was breathing he would try to protect Sam like he had since he'd met him. Gabriel stepped over the wood to sit next to Sam, putting just a few inches between them. The way Sam looked, graceless Gabe was sure he would lose any fight they got into. But he was talking to Gabriel now, and the words weren't spat at him with venom - a lot of venom anyway, so that was a good thing. There was promise.

The urge to hug him, to put his arms around Sam and cry his relief into his hair, was nearly overwhelming - Sam was back. Sam was _alive_ , but Gabriel kept his arms at his side, his hands folded in his lap. “I don’t blame you for still being pissed. I screwed up, big time, and I won’t even try to put a pretty spin on it. But Sam, when you walked into camp this afternoon, I was happy that you were alive, thrilled. Relieved to see you, even if you were with Lucy, I felt like maybe… maybe I had been given a second chance that I don’t deserve. That I wouldn't even give me. But I want it more than I've ever wanted anything. Even if it's just a chance to talk about - us.”

He finally lifted his hand and put it on Sam’s shoulder, hoping to make Sam look at him. And he did. “This wouldn’t be a second chance, Gabriel. More like a thousandth chance.” Gabriel searched Sam’s face and gave a short laugh. “Well, we’ve known each other for years, so a thousand is a good number for an idiot like me.” Sam frowned at him. “Well, to be fair Sam, you and Dean stabbed me a few times too, so it might even out? No?”

Sam looked tired, but he gave a small smile. “I should go in, Dean’s probably squaring off with Lucifer or - they just might need me.” Sam started to rise and leave, but Gabriel caught him and stood with him, his lips parted to speak when he suddenly grabbed Sam’s collar and dragged him down into a kiss. It was brief, still, he had put everything he felt into it; the joy, the relief, the sadness - fear - all of it put into the single spark of a kiss.

To his surprise Sam didn’t move or slap him, he just stood there when they parted and regarded Gabriel thoughtfully like he was searching for words but couldn’t find them. “Sam, I’m - I’m crazy in love with you. I never stopped. And today when I thought -” Sam brought a finger up to Gabriel’s lips to quiet him, but the look he gave the angel was remarkably soft.

“When this is done, when we get home, we’ll talk. About everything. Until then, this - we need to concentrate on getting back before Lucifer’s grace runs out and we’re stuck here with Michael.” With that, he gave Gabriel a light kiss and walked away.

***

The last thing Gabriel had said to him was that he wasn’t running anymore, and he told him to _go_ , he could buy them some time to get back home and to be safe from Michael. Sam knew that his life was going to be forfeit and that Gabriel was going to die protecting him from one of his brothers, again. And then he was gone. Dean and Sam had watched it all, hoping against hope that perhaps he would get the upper hand against Michael. Gabriel screamed this time as the knife went in and his grace left his body, the light left him and traveled upwards before evaporating into nothing. Everything in him wanted to go after Michael, but he would lose he was sure so in his pure anger all that Sam could do was take it out on Lucifer and make sure that he stayed behind with Michael. Lucifer didn’t deserve any better, anyway.

Leaning against a wall with a beer in hand, listening to the stories his mother and Bobby were telling each other about their time in the Alternate Universe they had just left or how they got to the rift just in time made things feel almost okay. Normal. Normal for them, anyway. Talking to virtual strangers, smiling at them, putting on a brave, happy, sure face was easier than he had thought initially and as the day wore on he hardly had to even think about it.

The air seemed thicker though, a deep breath becoming harder and harder to draw in as the minutes ticked by even though he knew the air in the bunker to be clean and temperate and easy to breathe in. Jack had glanced at him from time to time, possibly seeing through Sam’s facade and tight-lipped smile, but thankfully the boy had the good grace not to ask him or make a big deal out of it. Maybe he hadn’t thought that at all, maybe he hadn’t noticed and the looks were imagined. Maybe Sam was losing it slowly and being present at this impromptu party was hurrying that along.

He had died, after all, less than twenty-four hours ago, maybe sneaking off to his room wouldn’t be judged too harshly. A nod at Dean and Sam slipped quietly from the room and to the party, grabbed a six pack out of the kitchen, and went to his room to finish getting drunk. With luck, he would pass out soon and put this day and everything he had lost out of his mind for a little while.

***

“Sam,” he whispered gently. Long, graceful fingers smoothed back the sleeping hunters' deep brown locks. He wasn’t sure how long he could be here, or if he could do this again, but he wanted so badly for those big green eyes to open, to look at him. Register surprise. Anything, as long as he saw him. “Sammy. C’mon kiddo, I’m not sure how much longer I can keep him awake.” He could have come in here with a trombone, but jarring him awake wasn't what Gabriel wanted to do then. It would be funny, God yes, but not the entrance he wanted to make.

Gabriel smiled as Sam shifted in his sleep, from his back to his side, his hand never leaving the vicinity of his pillow that Gabriel knew hid his gun. Sam groaned as he rolled, and Gabriel moved to lay behind him, wrapping his arms around Sam and resting his lips near his ear. “Samshine, please wake up. I don't want this to be a dream for you.” Gabriel's voice cracked as he spoke and he took a deep breath to steady himself; no matter what he was doing this. "Sam, please." Sam’s brows knitted together, his eyes opened slightly, and then further as he began to rouse himself into wakefulness.

The arms around Sam didn’t register for a second and he took a sleepy breath to settle back down into sleep, yawning a bit before he paused and turned over quickly and reached for his gun that was no longer there. His gun was gone and there was something - some _one_ unfamiliar in his bed. “Be cool, Sammy, it’s just me,” Gabriel held up Sam's gun where he could see it. "I'm not sure what kind of bullets you have in this thing, but I'd rather not die twice today."

Gabriel could see Sam’s body relax at the sound of his voice, then he turned his head and sleepy eyes focused on him. Gabriel could see the realization that crossed Sam’s face the second he realized exactly who was in his bed. “Gabe. Gabriel. You’re - Am I dreaming this?” Gabriel smiled at him and shook his head; he didn’t know that Sam had dreamed about him before, for weeks and weeks, he had dreamed of the shadow of angel wings around Gabriel’s lifeless body after Gabriel’s own brother had killed him on the dirty floor of that old hotel. He hadn't seen him, they hadn't looked back, but he knew what happened when an angel was killed. That vision had haunted Sam for so long that it had just become a part of his life.

A nightmare about Jess. A nightmare about Gabe. His two great loves were always with him, but never to make him smile. He couldn’t think of their happier moments together, as few as they were, without that creeping in on him. Even that night when Gabriel had shown up behind him and Dean, to protect them from the gods that had lured them there, Sam had begged Gabriel to leave but he had blown it off, convinced Sam that these were his people, he was completely safe among them, convinced him to go along with a quickie in his room, and his life had ended because of it. Or so Sam had believed.

“You passed out drunk, didn’t you?” Gabriel said, tugging at the bootlaces on Sam’s feet. “You’re kinda slow tonight.”

“Wait a minute. Is this another trick? Did you really live through that too?” Sam sat up and looked down at Gabriel, red ringed and swollen eyes telling a story that Sam could never put into words. Gabriel leaned up and pressed his lips against Sam’s in a kiss, allowing it to linger for a few more seconds than he had intended.

“I wish.” He said simply as he pulled away with a small shake of his head. “I wanted to say goodbye this time. Do something right. See you one last time. There’s a sleepy, angry guy waiting for me though. He’s sending me home.” Sam took a second to process what Gabriel was telling him, blinking several times to clear eyes that had begun to fill with unshed tears. Was this really it? Was this really the last few minutes they would ever have together again? A tear rolled down Gabriel's cheek when Sam grabbed him and buried his face against his neck, but their goodbye couldn't be like this. They couldn't spend their last seconds with each other crying. He couldn't watch this. "I can't -I have to go, Sam."

“And if I asked you to take me with you, you’d say no. I’ve still got things to do here. My brother and my mom and Jack need me. Right? You’d say goodbye and - and that would just be it.” Gabriel laughed and pulled back, peppering Sam’s face with kisses, tasting the salt from his silent tears warm on his lips. “We always get separated by something, don’t we? It’s like - we were star-crossed, or some tragic Shakespeare stuff. I'd never take you with me, not like this, not now. But no, not goodbye. I’d say - I’ll see you later.”

Gabriel stood and looked at Sam, giving a deep sigh. Watching his boy cry would have killed him if he wasn’t dead already, as it was this was hurting like hell. “The Big Nap says my time here is done, and I have to go. But uh - be good and -” Sam was on his feet with his lips pressed to Gabriels, kissing him deep and hard, whispering ‘I love you’s’ against his lips. When they parted it was only inches, both of their faces wet with the mutual tears between them. Slowly Sam finally let him go and sat back down on his bed, after one last look without a word or a snap, Gabriel was gone.


End file.
